MIN PATEL and Amjad Khan were the unlikely batting heroes as Kent survived sunstroke, stupidity and a severe attack of the jitters before sealing a nervy, yet deserved two-wicket win over title chasing Lancashire in Canterbury.

With Andrew Flintoff off the field and seemingly out of the Test series against Pakistan with continued ankle problems, Lancashire still managed to turn the screw during the mid-session to scupper leave Kent’s last day run chase.

Having been set 215 to win, Kent appeared to be coasting to only their second win at St Lawrence in two years.

After seeing their skipper Rob Key harshly adjudged caught at the wicket from the third ball of the day, David Fulton and Martin van Jaarsveld dug in to hit half-centuries and ease their side on to 122 for one.

They only needed to score at one-and-a-half an over from there on in, but it all started to go horribly wrong eight overs after lunch.

With his score on 59 from 100 balls van Jaarsveld top-edged an attempted hook off Dominic Cork to be caught by Flintoff’s substitute fielder, Tom Smith at long-leg.

The South African stormed off to give an honest appraisal of the stroke: “It was the worst shot I’ve ever played, and you can quote me on that.”

That may well be the case, but sadly for Kent supporters much worse was to follow from some of Kent’s other top-flight batters.

In the next over, Kent’s first innings’ hero Matt Walker saw one spit out of the rough from Gary Keedy to give a bat-pad catch to short-leg then, in Keedy’s next over, Fulton (64) inexplicably danced down the pitch to pick out Cork at mid-off with a reckless drive.

The nerves jangled more when Dwayne Bravo (6) nicked an airy drive against Glenn Chapple to the keeper and the jangle became a crescendo once Stevens (16) followed suit to nick high to Stuart Law at first slip and give left-armer Keedy another victim.

Tyron Henderson, who seemingly only knows one way of batting, has already been dubbed ‘the blacksmith’ by some Kent supporters and he lived up to that reputation by attempting to hit Keedy out of the attack.

He slogged a straight six, clipped a four through mid wicket but Keedy wisely tossed one higher and wider to have the overseas all-rounder flailing away and stumped after dragging his back foot.

With 42 runs required Amjad Khan teamed up with Niall O’Brien but the Irishman, who is sadly out of form and averaging only 20, unluckily edged a leg glance against Sajid Mahmood to leave the hosts deep in trouble at 179 for eight.

The worldly-wise Patel then teamed up with Khan to bring some much-needed common sense to the run chase.

Rather than slog, they kept the ball on the floor, picked the gaps and ran sensibly to take the side into tea on 195 for eight.

The break gave both an opportunity to ease the tension and relax and they returned to edge their side home after the interval.

Khan enjoyed one stroke of luck when he inside-edged for four off Chapple, but other than that the pair were exemplary.

They nurdled Keedy for ones through backward square and extra cover to tie the scores then Patel drove a single to wide mid-off to win it and bring an enthralled crowd to its feet.

The pair had added an unbroken 36 in 19 overs to secure the win that moves Kent up to third in the Liverpool Victoria Division 1 table 12 points behind the red rose county.

As an advertisement for four-day cricket this was as good as it gets, the pity was Flintoff took virtually no part and his participation in the next two Tests against Pakistan may well be equally limited.

SCORECARD

Lancashire first innings

M J Chilton c O’Brien b Saggers 31
I J Sutcliffe b Khan 10
M B Loye c O’Brien b Henderson 6
S G Law b Khan 53
N J Astle c van Jaarsveld b Henderson 7
A Flintoff c O’Brien b Henderson 4
G Chapple c Fulton b Henderson 0
G D Cross lbw b Khan 72
D G Cork c Walker b Saggers 10
S I Mahmood c Henderson b Saggers 3
G Keedy not out 2

Extras 20

Total 218 all out after 57.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-58, 2-29, 3-58, 4-92, 5-102, 6-102, 7-184, 8-205, 9-216.

Bowling: Khan 17-2-73-3, Henderson 14-5-29-4, Bravo 9-0-50-0, Saggers 12.5-4-38-3, Stevens 2-0-8-0, Patel 3-1-7-0.

Kent first innings

D P Fulton c Flintoff b Chapple 29
R W T Key b Flintoff 0
M van Jaarsveld lbw b Flintoff 6
M J Walker run out (Mahmood) 197
D I Stevens c Cross b Cork 25
D Bravo c Law b Astle 76
N J O’Brien c Chapple b Mahmood 10
T Henderson c Chapple b Mahmood 13
M M Patel c Chapple b Mahmood 0
M J Saggers not out 2

Extras 28

Total 440 all out after 130.3 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-28, 2-42, 3-56, 4-109, 5-246, 6-283, 7-299, 8-301, 9-422.

Bowling: Cork 23-6-76-1, Chapple 21-5-75-1, Flintoff 19-4-45-2, Mahmood 20-2-79-3, Keedy 39.3-4-128-1, Astle 8-1-17-1.

Lancashire second innings

I J Sutcliffe b Khan 6
M J Chilton c O’Brien b Henderson 1
M B Loye c O’Brien b Khan 98
S H Law c Stevens b Henderson 85
N J Astle c van Jaarsveld b Khan 84
A Flintoff c Henderson b Stevens 37
G Chapple b Saggers 50
G D Cross c van Jaarsveld b Khan 2
D G Cork c van Jaarsveld b Saggers 23
S I Mahmood c Walker b Stevens 22
G Keedy not out 2

Extras 26

Total 436 all out after 114.4 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-2, 2-12, 3-202, 4-204, 5-282, 6-376, 7-385, 8-385, 9-412.

Bowling: Khan 26-4-129-4, Henderson 27-5-87-2, Bravo 6-2-16-0, Saggers 15-3-52-2, Stevens 15.4-0-72-2, Patel 24-0-68-0, van Jaarsveld 1-0-1-0.

Kent second innings

D P Fulton c Cork b Keedy 64
R W T Key c Cross b Chapple 2
M van Jaarsveld c Sub (Smith) b Cork 59
M J Walker c Sutcliffe b Keedy 1
D I Stevens c Law b Keedy 16
D Bravo c Cross b Chapple 6
T Henderson st Cross b Keedy 11
A Khan not out 19
M M Patel not out 16

Extras 14

Total 215 for eight after 76.5 overs

Fall of wicket: 1-3, 2-122, 3-123, 4-138, 5-153, 6-159, 7-173, 8-179,

Bowling: Cork 19-6-45-1, Flintoff 4-0-11-0, Chapple 15-1-56-2, Mahmood 12-3-34-1, Keedy 26.5-9-61-4.

Bonus points: Kent 22pts Lancashire 4pts.